


Resulting in a Scar

by shrift



Series: Yuletide Fanworks [26]
Category: Tactics (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28061094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shrift/pseuds/shrift
Summary: In which there are unanticipated consequences to Kantarou’s actions.
Relationships: Haruka/Ichinomiya Kantarou
Series: Yuletide Fanworks [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/104180
Comments: 11
Kudos: 24
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Resulting in a Scar

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EmiAysu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmiAysu/gifts).



> Beta by Nestra.

When Kantarou blinked awake the first time, his eyelids sluggish and his chest wracked with pain, Youko and Haruka were there. Youko was slumped over a cup of tea, her face drawn.

"What's wrong?" Kantarou asked. His words were soft and his voice rough. He didn't remember going to sleep last night, but he was in his room. Usually nobody watched him sleep, though.

"Kan-chan!" Youko said, immediately sitting up and straightening her shoulders. Then she leaned closer to peer into his face. "You're awake!"

"What's wrong?" Kantarou repeated. He tried to sit up and immediately regretted the action.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?!" Youko asked, growing incensed. She pounded her fists on the floor, and the tea cup rattled. "What's wrong is that we were worried because you almost died, stupid."

Haruka said nothing and simply crossed his arms.

"Ah," Kantarou said. He was starting to remember now. The ushi-oni had surprised them in the mountains. Either it had been hunting them or they'd stumbled too close to its lair, and its attack had been swift and brutal.

In the face of all those claws and fangs and tongues, Haruka had hesitated. Kantarou knew from his research that ushi-oni were known in some places as soul-stealers, so perhaps that was why he put himself in between Haruka and the ox demon when it charged him with its claws brandished. In hindsight, Haruka probably was just grappling with the urge to kill, but Kantarou hadn't been willing to take the chance that the ogre would be able to drink his soul.

Youko was still ranting at him about how inconsiderate he was and did he know what would happen to them if he died, but Kantarou was struggling to stay awake. "Sorry."

The second time, Kantarou awoke to Muu-chan pulling at his cheeks. "Muu muu," she said insistently, and Kantaorou summoned enough energy to reassure her that he was all right while Sugino did a dance of seething jealousy in the corner of Kantarou's bedroom.

It wasn't like Sugino had anything to worry about where Kantarou was concerned, but the more time he spent with Muu-chan, the more Kantarou realized how extraordinary a yokai she was. Sugino's jealous tantrums made more sense once Kantarou realized that Sugino had married up.

Youko bustled into his room with a bowl of water and some clean cloths, nudging everyone aside. "Time to change your bandages, Kan-chan."

Much to Sugino's dismay, Muu-chan helped Youko undress him enough so that she could unwind the gauze holding the bandages in place over the new set of claw marks on his chest. Youko started to peel the bandages away gently, and then a particularly fox-like look of irritation came over her face and she ripped them off without warning. Tears slipped down Kantarou's cheeks and onto his pillow while Youko quickly cleaned his wounds and bandaged them again. Youko patted him on the shoulder and then swept away the bowl with water that now was cloudy with his blood.

It was Haruka who gently wrestled Kanatrou's yukata back in place and tucked him in with the duvet. Muu-chan sat on his head and petted his hair. It was odd, but nice. Kantarou supposed this was something parents might do with their children.

Kantarou slid into sleep as Sugino said, "See, this is why humans and monsters are incompatible. Look at how fragile they are."

The third time, he was alone with Haruka. The light was dim. Haruka sat beside him, but his mind clearly was somewhere else, eyes staring into the middle distance. The quiet was nice while it lasted.

"Why did you do that?" Haruka asked abruptly.

"Were you surprised?" Kantarou asked because he honestly was curious as to how his feelings could not be clear on the subject. But this was Haruka, after all. Human emotions seemed like an enigma to him. Kantarou had lost track of the number of times an oblivious Haruka had been surprised when a woman's attentions turned amorous. "I told you that I'd die for you a long time ago. Did you think I was lying?"

Haruka stared at him for a long moment before saying, "I didn't think you were serious."

Sometimes Kantarou wished he could be infuriated by the way Haruka could devastate him with a simple sentence. He honestly didn't think anger would make it easier to bear, but at least he'd feel something other than pain.

If Kantarou had been well, he would have said or done something ridiculous to hide how hurt he was. In his current state, Kantarou simply huffed out a laugh, and with his injuries, the small motion was almost as painful as Haruka's words. But Haruka didn't stop there, although his eyes were distant again.

"We'd only just met, even if you look at it in terms of a human lifespan, and you seemed so lighthearted about it that I took it for a joke."

"Ah," Kantarou said softly. "I see. For me, it feels as though I've known you almost my whole life, so it doesn't seem so abrupt to me."

He'd dedicated a lot of time and thought to Haruka's existence, so much so that even his few childhood companions remembered who Haruka was. Perhaps it would be embarrassing if Kantarou had never found him, but Haruka was just as wonderful as he'd claimed he was.

"Human lives are short. You're going to die so soon," Haruka said, eyebrows drawn down to rumple the bridge of his nose.

"Probably sooner than most," Kantarou agreed with a smile on his face, because it was the life he led, a story told in the scars on his body and the ache in his chest. It wouldn't take much for an ogre to take him out, just a slip of attention or some unlucky happenstance. He'd made his peace with that long ago.

Apparently Haruka hadn't.

Haruka grabbed at Kantarou's yukata, pulling the fabric askew in his fist. "You don't understand. You're going to die soon. Why are you hastening it?"

His eyes weren't distant now. They were alive, open wide and burning with repressed emotion. Kantarou knew he should be afraid, but with Haruka, he never was.

Kantarou covered Haruka's fist with his hand. "My life is mine to do with as I please. It wouldn't be wasted if I lost it to save you."

"You don't get to do that," Haruka said, his voice gruff.

"Oh, I think you'll find that I do," Kantarou said coolly, sliding his hand away and tucking it under the duvet. He'd been told he was wrong since he was a child, and he had little patience for it now as an adult.

Haruka chased after it and pulled it back out, clasping it. "Then please. _Please_ don't do that."

Kantarou pursed his lips as he considered his response, but before he could say anything, Haruka swept down and kissed him. It was a cool press of the lips at first, then hot and smooth when Haruka opened his mouth and climbed on top of him. Kantarou's left arm was pinned under the duvet, and he slowly worked it free as Haruka devoured his mouth. When he finally could put both of his hands in the glorious mess of Haruka's hair, Kantarou carded through it and then gave it an experimental tug.

Haruka's wings materialized in a whoosh, black feathers fluttering in the air before settling on the floor.

"Oh," Kantarou said, which didn't remotely encapsulate the revelation he'd just experienced.

Haruka closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Kantarou's. His breath was warm when he sighed. "You'll stay safe?"

"I will if you will," Kantarou said, because he wasn't the only reckless one in this room.

Haruka's wings reared to match his glare. "I'm much harder to kill than you are."

"That's true," Kantarou agreed.

Haruka kissed him again, and Kantarou lost himself in it for a moment, enjoying the weight of Haruka's body pressing him down and the curl of his shoulders where he held himself separate in deference to Kantarou's wounds.

"Are you trying to manipulate me with your mouth?" Kantarou asked breathlessly.

"Yes," Haruka said. "I'll fuck you into compliance if that's what it takes."

"You're welcome to try," Kantarou said, because he very much was interested in letting Haruka attempt to change his mind. It wasn't going to work, but he was certain that he'd thoroughly enjoy the journey.

"Not until Kan-chan has recovered," Youko said as she came into the room. She thrust a steaming bowl at Haruka, and he scrambled upright to hold onto it. "Make sure he eats something."

"Is that okayu?" Kantarou asked with a suspicious sniff.

"Uh," Haruka said. His wings disappeared with a rush of air and a swirl of feathers.

Youko rolled her eyes. "Food first. You can ravish him later."

"Thank you for this meal," Kantarou said with a grin, and was grateful when Haruka merely glowered at him and didn't pour the bowl over his head.


End file.
